How Films Impact Us

I would bet you that an overwhelming majority of the world's population know what a film is. We can't assume that everyone has seen a film of course, but I'm sure that most people in most populations around the world, would be able to say they know what a film is.

So what is a film? Well in this context, a film is a feature-length fictional narrative. Let's not forget of course, that we have short films and documentaries, but in the popular and mainstream sense of the word, movies, or films, are typically 90 minutes to over 3 hours (ahem, the subcontinent), and are based on stories.

That's really what it comes down to – storytelling. The history of motion pictures is of telling stories through film, and now also through video. Name a topic or issue and there's probably a film about it. Films are also about conflict – conflict drives the story. At the heart of the narrative is the conflict. Without the conflict, internal or external of the characters, there would be no story. And that goes for fiction and documentary films.

So what sort of impact and influence do films have on us? Well ok, this should be obvious. They make us cry, they make us laugh, they make us scared, and sometimes sad or even frustrated. Films have a considerable influence on us, and not just on how we feel, but also on how we think about and perceive our world.

I will demonstrate with a couple of examples. Rang De Basanti was a massive Hindi film that came out in 2006, and starred Aamir Khan, my all-time favourite Indian actor. RDB's story and conflict is essentially about how the ruling elite of India today can be just as oppressive and ruthless as the British who colonized India. This film raised my awareness of the corruption in the Indian government and also gave me a better understanding of Indian revolutionaries, who are shown during the time of British India.

So films can have a positive influence on us and can raise our awareness of certain issues or communities. On the other hand, some films play into stereotypes and thus subversively influence audiences to see the communities represented onscreen in a negative light. I find this to be most prevalent in Hollywood, out of all the film industries. Hollywood films are typically racist, sexist, xenophobic, and so on – and Hollywood producers and directors think nothing of it. A classic example is John Ford's The Searchers with John Wayne, which depicted Native Americans as being utter savages – violent, bloodthirsty, and primitive. Effectively, this portrayal was a dehumanization of Native Americans. Such depictions certainly influenced audiences' perception and understanding of Native Americans extremely negatively.

The films that we see have a significant role in shaping our understanding of the world around us, including people different from you and me, and on social issues. Don't think for a moment that you're an exception – trust me, you're not. Visual images have an accumulative effect and can either positively or negatively impact our thinking and understanding. It's up to you to decide what you watch. I recommend you watch films that are entertaining but will also educate you and provide you with more perspective on our world.

- Hena Ashraf is a filmmaker with interests in photography, writing, and new media. She founded the Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival in the summer of 2008, and is a fierce advocate for the making and use of independent media.